My options were limited. I could raise the rifle and try to take out its other eye – and hope that it would flee rather than attack blindly, relying on its sense of smell. Or I could make a dash off to one side and try and climb one of the taller trees. Up there I might be able to make my way to the ship and jump back onto it. But even if the dragon didn’t manage to claw its way up and drag me down, my chances of reaching the ship safely in my present damaged state were slim to none. Any sudden move would almost certainly trigger an attack, but standing still wasn’t going to achieve anything. I glanced left and right, trying to spot a tree that might offer a chance for escape. It had to be sturdy enough that the dragon couldn’t throw its weight against it and topple it. And high enough that I stood a chance of getting up beyond its reach. There was a gnarled old tree about ten feet to my right. It was covered in moss and vines that stood out like veins. There should be enough purchase there for me to be able to climb rapidly. I couldn’t see the top of it, which I took to be a good sign.
Three-two-one-GO!
I ran. The dragon roared. Thunder exploded overhead. And I screamed like a wild thing. I heard crashing behind me but didn’t look back. I reached the tree and scrambled up, hoping it wasn’t so wet that I would slide straight down into the waiting jaws of the beast. Keep climbing. Don’t look down.
The tree shook as the dragon slammed into it. I clung on as if my life depended on it. Oh, wait, it actually did. I climbed higher as I heard a scratching and scraping sound below – the dragon using its claws to try and climb up after me. I risked a glance down. And saw the vines breaking, unable to support the dragon’s weight. It tried again, digging its massive toe claws into the bark of the tree. It managed to draw itself up a few yards, but again its weight made the claws rip through the bark and slide downwards.
I reached a higher branch and sat there for a moment to draw breath. The rain was heavier now and it gradually worked its way through the canopy of the trees and dripped down in large drops. The wet would make it harder for me to climb – but hopefully the same was true of the dragon.
The dragon was on the ground, glaring up at me and roaring occasionally. It leaned back on its haunches and launched itself upwards. Its leap brought snapping jaws close to me and I pulled up my feet – but the jump had been eight feet short. Shaking its head, the beast coiled itself again, ready to spring. Its teeth were a little closer, but still some way short.
If I fired the rifle into its gaping mouth, would that be enough to kill it? At the very least, it would do it some serious harm – and it might be enough to discourage it and send it on its way. As the dragon prepared to make another jump, I raised the rifle and took aim. Leaning forward, it seemed as if its teeth would reach me this time. My finger tightened on the trigger.
The ground underneath the dragon exploded, showering me with compost. The force of the blast almost knocked me off my perch. I hadn’t fired the shot. I spat out bits of rotted leaf and peered down, trying to see the dragon. It lay on its side twitching, stunned by the blast. It shook itself and got to its feet. For the moment I was forgotten and it turned its attention on the source of the explosion. It roared at the shadowy shape and then turned and fled.
I blinked, squinting with my one good eye to see through the rain, trying to catch sight of my saviour. And I saw that the second ‘beast’ that had pursued me wasn’t another dragon.
Chapter Sixteen
It was a big military robot – perhaps eight feet tall and almost as wide at the shoulders. Its battered and scratched paintwork had once been bright red, so maybe it had originally been a firefighter on the Celestia’s launch deck before someone remade it into a walking tank. The armour protecting its shoulders looked like it had been made from salvaged steel plate and its mid-section featured the same badly-welded patchwork of scrap. Its head sat low between its shoulders and looked like it didn’t belong there – it was bright yellow and would have been better suited to one of those waiters that say things like ‘Glad to be of service.’ Large feet and hand made it look like a giant metal ape. I say ‘hand,’ singular, because in place of a left arm it had some sort of cannon that was still smoking.
I was just about to wave and shout ‘Thanks’ – but the robot turned and pointed the cannon towards me. This wasn’t a rescue, it had just targeted the dragon first. I was next.
I scrambled to my feet and launched myself from the branch towards the tree behind. I felt the heat as the tree I had been in blossomed into flame and the force of the blast gave me an extra push. My chest slammed into a thick branch and I grabbed hold of it, gasping for breath. I pulled myself up, wanting to keep moving before the robot targeted me again.
The rain was coming down heavier now, making the branches slippery and reducing visibility. Drifting smoke from the burning tree only made things worse. But I had to keep going. Some of the trees were so close together
